Proposal to develop a sense of community in Living Praise Presbyterian Church: Volunteerism in a greying society - Adriel Seah

Living Praise Presbyterian Church (hereafter: LPPC) has a short and brief history. As the church grew, it became apparent that the church direction had to be strengthened and unified. From this, came the realisation of the three mission statements of LPPC — Building up, Reaching out, Passing down. As the church has been diligently building up its members through continued study of the Word, it is important to begin a transition into the second phase — Reaching out. 

The first phase entailed the development of members as well as leaders to be stewards of God’s Word and to have adequate knowledge. This could be done internally, provided with excellent teachers of the Word. However, the second phase has always been a weakness in LPPC. With such a short history, the church has not been able to develop a tradition and culture of spreading God’s Word through good works to the community around. Besides the administration to the partner school Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School, LPPC does not have any significant inroads into providing services for the communities around. 

It is with this backdrop that we can view a problem that the secular society currently faces — an ageing population. Singapore’s average life expectancy is ever increasing, sitting at 82 as of 2010. This number is only set to increase further as people start to lead healthier lives coupled with medical advances. It is therefore worth looking into solving both of these problems at the same time. I propose the encouragement of members of LPPC to develop a sense of community spirit by engaging in the silver sector.

A further elaboration of the reasons why this course of action is supported can be summarised as such — Demographics of LPPC, Ministries LPPC are already engaged in, and Opportunities to import lessons learnt.

Firstly, LPPC largely comprises families with middle-aged heads of family. There is a large and sizeable population of children and youth. However, it is readily apparent that the youth and children are segregated from the rest of the church, with little interaction between the young and the elderly. Efforts have been made to encourage intermingling and better communication, however, these efforts will not succeed without further action. For example, weekly lunches that are provided for members in order to encourage fellowship after service are unable to provide an extra push for members to mix around. It is important then, to foster a better sense of belonging in the church through activities that break through this barrier.

Secondly, LPPC is already heavily involved in ministry to the Kuo Chuan schools. As LPPC is situated within KCPPS, LPPC is tasked with ministry and chaplaincy for KCPPS. Through this work that LPPC is already involved in, we have gained experience in ministering to the younger demographic. This is extremely beneficial in our planning of children’s events and the carrying out of Sunday School. However, this has the added and hidden downside in causing us to neglect and overlook the older demographics. It is a common myth that only the young should be targeted when spreading the gospel, as the Grace of God is limitless — Jesus died for every single person on Earth. Hence, LPPC should also look into developing an elder ministry in order to ensure no one is neglected.

Thirdly, there are plenty of opportunities for us to import what we will learn from such an experience. Caring for the elderly and ministering to them will impart valuable lessons to young and old alike. It would encourage the youth to communicate more with the elderly and in turn, generate an empathy for the aged society in Singapore. It would also be useful in tackling the growing apathy amongst youth towards local community involvement — an ironic development as the number of youth embarking on overseas service trips are on the rise. The adults of LPPC would also gain an increased understanding of how to care for the elders, a useful lesson as their parents approach those ages themselves. Overall, there is a hope that the lessons that we can take back will enable LPPC to become a community oriented and more empathetic family.

Therefore, I propose a monthly programme where LPPC volunteers at a local home for a short period of time after service. It should be regular but not too frequent, in order for members to slowly warm up to the idea, without getting a burnout. A monthly programme would be a good method of introducing the idea to the congregation, without taking an overly committed step. It would also be best if the programme was conducted after service on Sundays. The rationale behind this, is that many people are unwelcome of the idea of spending an extra day outside, especially during the weekends. A short service and volunteering activity after service on Sunday would be more welcome as people would not be required to make an extra effort to get out of the house, reducing the barrier to acceptance of the programme.

The programme would entail a slow ramp up from easy to more advanced activities in order for the participants to gain experience first before developing themselves further. Simple activities in the beginning that do not require much training and foreknowledge include simple interactions with the elderly. Even a short yet sincere chat with the elderly can make a great impact on the elder’s wellbeing, improving their mood and benefitting their psychology.

In the future, as the participants gain more exposure, it would be hoped that they would partake in training to play a bigger role in eldercare, such as learning how to transport non-ambulant elders and even how to accompany them on their daily physical exercises. The eventual hope of this programme would be to encourage members of LPPC to be more sensitive to the plight of elders in the community, as well as within the congregation.

When the members are more attuned to the less visible members in society around them, they would be more willing to extend a helping hand where ever they deem fit. It would also be increasingly beneficial for members to understand elders and better equip ourselves with communication skills, even as our own congregation starts to age. Hopefully, this programme can serve as a bridge to close up the age schism in the congregation. As we are called to be salt and light of the Earth, it is paramount that we do not keep the Light hidden under a basket, but to actively seek to share our blessings. Through our works and a volunteering spirit, it could be possible to interest others in the Word of God and enable us to share the Gospel with the community around us.

Adriel Seah 

STEP 2015

The Difficulties Facing the Lower-Skilled Foreign Labour in Singapore: A Christian Response - Png Eng Keat

Singapore is a small country which is limited both in land area and domestic workforce. Due to its small geographic size of 718 square kilometres, she cannot rely on natural resources for her economy, unlike larger neighbours such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Thus, Singapore has to depend heavily on her human capital for growth and progress. Due to rapid economic expansion and the limited domestic workforce available, historically Singapore has always relied on foreign labour to augment her workforce. 

The reliance on foreign labour is further entrenched by the improving education level of Singaporeans. In order to have quality local human capital, quality local education is essential. As a result of her focus to achieve a world class education system, more Singaporeans are becoming better educated. In 2012, more than 70 per cent of Singapore residents aged 25-34 years (who were not currently formally studying) were tertiary educated, as compared to only less than 20 per cent among those above 60 years of age. With better education, less younger Singaporeans are taking up lower-skilled jobs with poorer remunerations. In order to continue filling the ranks of lower-skilled workers, Singapore has to draw from the pool of labour overseas. 

Singapore classifies its foreign workforce according to their skill set and are issued different employment documents accordingly. For foreign domestic workers and semi-skilled or unskilled foreign workers, they are issued work permits and are classified as work permit holders. As of December 2014, there were 991,300 work permit holders in Singapore, of which 222,500 were foreign domestic workers and 322,700 were construction workers. In total, work permit holders make up about 18% of the population residing in Singapore.

The Population White Paper of 2013 recognises that lower-skilled foreign workers complement the resident workforce by supporting higher-tier professional jobs held by Singaporeans. It also states that having foreign workers working in Singapore help create work opportunities for locals and provides them a cushion from unemployment during economic downturns. The Singapore Government's website states that the majority of foreign workers in Singapore are there to "help build our homes, keep our roads clean, and make [Singaporean] lives just a little more comfortable." The government portrays the ultimate role of the lower-skilled foreign workers as one of serving the interests of the locals. 

Many Singaporeans have expressed their dissatisfaction at the rapid increase in the number of foreign workers in Singapore over the recent years, due to inconveniences they experience as a result of a bloating population. This unhappiness has been made known through protest rallies held by those who oppose the government’s immigration policy. For the lower-skilled foreign workers, the unhappiness of the local population compounds the existing social prejudices against their ethnicity and low social standing. 

Apart from the negative sentiments of the locals, many lower-skilled foreign workers also need to face with less-than-ideal conditions of life. Foreign construction workers work in higher-risk environments with long working hours and poor remuneration. Many have to put up with errant employers refusing them proper work injury compensation, witholding them salary, and abusing them, because having paid exorbitant fees to their agents to be sent to Singapore, they need to keep working to recoup their initial financial losses and accumulate savings. 

Many cases of foreign domestic workers being physically abused by their employers have also regularly surfaced in the media, and these workers only seek help after repeated abuses because they are unsure of their rights and are afraid of being sent back home. The negativity of the locals towards them and their subserviency to the interests of the locals, as well as being strangers in a foreign land, lead to their vulnerability to exploitation by employers. Thus, being in a compromising circumstance, lower-skilled foreign workers in Singapore may be considered a vulnerable group in society. 

Christians in Singapore cannot commit to a negative, exploitative attitude toward the lower-skilled foreign workers. Rather they should view and treat lower-skilled foreign workers in a Biblical manner that is radically different from prevailing sentiments in society, that is to see them as fellow creatures created in the image of God, and to love them as their neighbour by being concerned at the unfair hardships and injusticies they face while seeking employment opportunities in Singapore. The Old Testament is full of injunctions and ruminations about foreign workers in the land of Israel, and God continues his concern for this vulnerable group in the New Testament through Jesus’ exhortations. 

In the injunctions of the Mosaic law, there are provisions being made for a seperate class of people living in Israel called the “sojourners” (ESV) or “ger” (Hebrew). God commands the Israelites not to opress or abhor sojourners but love them because they were once sojourners in the land of Egypt (Ex 23:9; Deut 10:18-19; 23:7). Most of these sojourners likely provided lower-skilled labour to Israel (1Chr22:2) and were among the vulnerable and needy groups in Israelite society (Lev 19:10; 23:22; Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17). They are portrayed in the legal provisions as a minority group of people – along with the widows and the fatherless – likely to face discrimination and injustices from the rest of society. To be in a foreign land filled with apathetic people, and equipped with little understanding of the local language and laws renders a sojourner helpless when faced with trouble. This is not unlike the situation faced by the lower-skilled foreign workers in Singapore. 

While the sojourners in Israel are subject to the same laws as the Israelites (Num 15:15-16), special provisions are made for them in the legal statutes (Deut 24:19-21), and the Israelites are repeatedly reminded by God not to dispise or mistreat them. Such special provisions show that God recognizes the potential injustices these aliens might face in the land of Israel at the hand of the citizens, because he is omnisciently cognizant of the fact that the sinfulness of man and brokenness of human relationships will manifest itself in such a way. 

More importantly, these provisions show that he is a God of love, who loves both the Israelite and the sojourner, whose justice is impartial to both Jews and Gentile. It is significant that as Judah faced her final foreign invasion, one of the charges laid by God against her which incurred his wrath, was the ill-treatment of the sojourner (Eze 22:7). As the people of God, Christians in Singapore need to know that God loves the lower-skilled foreign workers in our midst, and be aware that the sinfulness of man as manifested in social prejudices will result in a dehumanising mistreatment of them. Thus, they should reject the prevailing prejudices and be spurred by the love of God to relate to and treat the lower-skilled foreign workers in a manner that is delightful to him. 

Jesus goes further in his proscription to his disciples and his audience in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. When challenged by a Jewish religious expert on who is his neighbour that he should show love to, Jesus tells the famous parable of the good Samaritan. In the parable, a Samaritan goes out of his way to help a person, presumably a Jew, who was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho, but ended up being beaten, robbed, left for dead, and callously ignored by fellow Jews who were in the religious office. 

Samaritans were a people group descended from Israelites who intermarried with pagans after the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians, and the king of Assyria resettled pagans amongst the Israelites who remained in Samaria. They were considered to be ethnically distinct from the Jews and disdained by them, and the two groups had often come into conflict with each other during the first century AD. 

However, Jesus tells an incredulous tale (to the Jews) of a much disdained Samaritan offering help to a Jew when other supposedly pious Jews refused to, so as to inform the audience that the love for the other is not constrained by religion and ethnicity, but transcends both. A Samaritan can show love to a Jew, and so should a Jew show love to a Samaritan. It is only when we love and show mercy to the other, that we prove ourselves to be a neighbour to the other. 

The recent news of two foreign construction workers risking their safety to rescue a toddler in danger of falling off a second storey apartment is a contemporary “good Samaritan” story set in a Singaporean context. This incident should be a rebuke to any Singaporean holding prejudices toward lower-skilled foreign workers. 

For Christians, the love of God has to compel them not only to change their attitudes toward them, but to seek for their justice and welfare in tangible means. It is not enough to merely ‘say to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body’ (Jas 2:16), but changes in attitudes should also be accompanied by deeds. Such deeds should be done even at the expense of our own comfort. In so doing, God’s love for the stranger in our midst is tangibly shared, and through these social action, a platform for the good news of Jesus Christ to be told is created. 

Despite social prejudices toward them, less-than-ideal work and living conditions and a meagre remuneration (relative to the locals), Singapore remains a popular destination for lower-skilled foreign workers. With the continued reliance on foreign labour for construction and domestic help, the influx of foreign workers is likely to continue into the far future. As some return home with earnings in hand, others will take their place. Christians in Singapore need to take an initiative to make their country a better place for them work in, and provide help for those who have fallen through the little of what social security they have in a foreign land. In so doing they will prove themselves to be people of God, and salt and light of the world.

Png Eng Keat

STEP 2015

Youths are Leaving My Presbyterian Church - Courtney Lim

Traditional churches today are facing a worrying trend. This is best summarized in a statement made by Mathew Mathews, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, to the Straits Times, “Among young people who go to church, conservatively, at least half drop out.” I decided to choose this topic because my relatively conservative Presbyterian Church currently faces this problem. In conversation, I have discovered a similar trend amongst a few other Presbyterian churches as well. In my church, these leavers range from 15 years old to their early 20s, for a variety of reasons. 

The Megachurch phenomenon has taken root over the past decade, and drastically extended its influence on the religious scene in Singapore. These megachurches are categorized as having a charismatic senior pastor as the face of the church, inspirational preaching, rock-concert style of worship, and the extensive use of contemporary media for outreach efforts. 

These traits create a worship experience that is first class, intense and emotional. Sermons are uplifting, providing worshippers with a sense of empowerment to achieve an abundant materialistic life on earth. For the undiscerning youth in a conservative denominational church, such an environment is a much attractive place to be in on Sundays; He can be part of a big social community, motivated to achieve his dreams, and fulfill his obligation to ‘go to church’ at the same time. 

While the prosperity gospel has its drawbacks, apathetic youths previously at my church may grow spiritually to an extent because the sermons are now in English. The sensory worship experience may prompt them to come closer to God as well through helping them ‘feel’ God, assuming a proper choice of worship songs, as opposed to blindly singing in their old Chinese Presbyterian church. While figures from the megachurches show that transfers make up only 10-20%, the growth in numbers for megachurches is exponential. Although this may seem small, for much smaller sized traditional churches with attendance of 60-100, this is a significant drop in their numbers. 

For the older group, it is for a different reason. With a host of information and articles online for people to share their views, social issues today are amplified louder than ever. Young adults today are increasingly involved in developing their own views, and challenging the basis of their faith that they have been brought up to believe in. Young adults are seeking deeper spiritual growth through refreshing sermons which shed light on new perspectives and illicit questions on theology we always took for granted, rather than the same old message we have heard since young. 

Young adults today also seek answers to questions like ‘Why can’t I see God’s presence in my life?’ ‘What is the church’s stand towards homosexuality?’ ‘How can I prove to my friends that God is real?’ Apart from these questions, young adults also seek to find the relevance of scripture to their daily lives. As such, many of them, out of spiritual drought, leave the church in search of greener pastures. A number of them have moved to more charismatic churches, where the sermons preached do directly address their life problems and help them to make decisions. 

The thing with both these reasons, is that we are too enclosed within the bubble which we call church. Church is just about me and God, what God can do for me, and how relevant the sermon is for me. Personal growth is of utmost importance, and so is how the gospel can help me solve my obstacles as I go on to run my rat race. 

For many youths, especially the younger ones, church is a Sunday affair where we come to church and learn all the things we should do, but leave church trapped in our old routines. We speak boldly about evangelism in church, about reaching out to the desperate and helpless. But many still cannot find courage to share the gospel with their friends even when the opportunity presents itself. We still don’t want to be That One who actively befriends the outcast at school and reaches out to her. But that is really just how we are as weak, sinful and fallen humans. The church isn’t responsible for giving us a new breath or transforming our lives. That’s God’s job. Rather moving forward, what I feel the church can do is to support the continual renewal process of the lives of our youth through exposure and empowerment. 

Through STEP I have been made aware of how youths in my church need to break out of the idea that serving the church only means grooming leaders to serve the next batch of youths, or to serve the congregation; Jesus ministry didn’t simply target and serve church goers. What Jesus did was to walk the streets and impact the lives of the sick, the poor, the hungry, and the lost. 

Joseph Koh, sociologist and founder of the website selah.sg states in his recent entry on ‘Bored with Christianity’, that “In the caverns of the soul, every youth searches for significance, like wells that are meant to be filled. Their boundless energy waits to be called upon and channelled into something bigger,” “When empowered, I have no doubt that youths will uninhibitedly ‘go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation’ (Mark 16:15 ESV).” 

Exposing our youths to the people who desperately need God will radically change their views towards ministry and put their own lives into perspective, allowing for personal spiritual growth, evangelism, and empowerment to address social issues. 

To do this, I suggest that youth groups can form partnerships with the various Christian VWOs, such as AG Home, Onesimus Farm, Healthserve and Tamar Village to name a few. The main youth groups in our church would be the various fellowship groups, 温柔，信实，喜乐Z. 

At present, all are not involved in any recurrent social service projects. What we usually have is a one-off ‘CIP’ event such as Christmas Carnivals for PCS schoolchildren, or helping out at Sarah Home once in a blue moon. However, we have 康乐 once a month instead for bonding purposes, where we go outdoors to kayak/play sports/play pool. 

Thus I suggest that instead of purely going out for leisure activities, these youth groups can consider volunteering at these VWOs on a recurrent basis. For example, 康乐 can be volunteering for two months, and for leisure on the following month. Other youths not in these fellowships groups will also be encouraged to join in, and youths participating in these activities will be encouraged to continue in their own time. 

Volunteering at these VWOs not only achieves the purpose of bonding, but also forces youths to reconsider the boundaries of ministry and put their own lives into perspective in relation to their beneficiaries’. Such spiritual involvement in a body bigger than themselves allows them to hold a stake in the church, and think of questions like how they can serve others through the body of Christ, rather than how the church can serve and cater to their own needs. 

As Joseph Koh aptly summarises it, “Christian youths ought to be challenged from the comfort of the pews and into the chaos into the streets.” Perhaps through this can the youth realize what it means to be the salt and light of the world, and through God’s empowerment use their gifts to leave a mark on society. 

Courtney Lim

STEP 2015

Issues with youths in Singapore that affect their walk with God - Matthew Ong

According to National Youth Council’s definition, youths are defined as those aged between 15 to 35 years old in Singapore. In some churches, individuals are qualified as youths the moment they entered secondary school education. As they step out from childhood into adolescences, they begin to be curious about different stuffs. That, more often than not, is where most of the problems begin. 

One key issue about Christian youths is that as they transit into adolescences, they begin to lose interest in coming to church, much less in learning about God’s words. 

 

Hence, this article we will be looking at issues that youths in Singapore face and perhaps coming up with possible solution(s) that can help understanding youths and bringing them back to God which in turn increase their desire for God’s words. 

Distractions in life 

As a youth transits into a stage of exploration, there are many things in this materialistic world that could draw them away from God. One good example we can see is that with the advancement of modern technology and the progressing influence on social media, youths can get off track with their walk with God when they feel that the sermon was too boring and decides to use the mobile device and check up on their social media such as Facebook or Instagram to pass their time until the service is over. 

This more often than not is due to the youth’s misinterpretation of the purpose of coming to church. Many of them feels that going to church is part of the routine that they do on Sundays, somewhat like going to schools. They go to church, sing a few worship songs, sit through sermon, and get out. And the cycle continues. Worse still, some of them might even think that the act of going to church is “part of their job” of being a Christian and their entry ticket to heaven. 

Therefore, it is important that youths understand the meaning and importance of coming to church on Sundays and how coming to church is our way of having a sustainable relationship with God. 

Peer pressure/influences 

Peer pressure is a prominent social pressure that youths faced today as there is tremendous pressure to be compelled to do what those around them are doing. Though however, all people, young and old, are subjected to the pressure to conform in order to be accepted and liked by others. 

The problem of peer pressure and peer influence of youths is often associated with their cliques. The group of people that they hang out with most of the time. In order to gain acceptance or to show certain “superiority” or traits that they feel that will depict them as the “cool” person in the group, youths might have the tendency to do things that they usually will not do. Few examples would be smoking and taking drugs. 

Besides the above mentioned peer pressure/influence issues, Christian youths face additional dilemmas that could affect their walk with God, especially the peers that they hang out with are non-Christians. Christian youths would have to choose to join their non-Christian peers' Sunday outing or to attend church service. 

Youths need to learn to be themselves and not imitations of others. They need to learn to think for themselves rather than blindly following the way of the crowd. By allowing oneself to live his/her life through the conformity to how their peers behave, one could never develop their own identity. Of course, while it is important for everyone to practice norms that are socially acceptable by being friendly, courteous, pleasant and polite etc. 

However one must learn to develop his/her own thinking and be independent from others to the extent that they do not let others dictate how they should live. Youths should never conform to the patterns of the world in order to get along and go along with anybody but instead allowing themselves to be transformed through the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2). One talent youths must develop is the ability to stand even if they have to stand alone. The imminent danger of allowing the pressure of being accepted, being liked, being popular have the controlling influence over youths life is evident. Instead, they should determine how to live their lives based on the guidance from the Word of God. 

High tendency to be defiant/rebellious 

As the age matures, youths begin to become increasingly defiant as they want to take charge of their lives and sometimes they want to assert certain individuality from what their parents want them to be which results in provoking their disapproval. One other factor that could result in the defiance of youths is possible due to the influence of bad company. 

Although youths are subject to their parents (Ephesians 6:1), they however must allow themselves to be guided by them and their guidance should be according to the Word of God. Parents therefore, when facing defiant youths, they must learn to handle in a wise manner. They must find a balance between giving their child and/or children the right amount of freedom or any other reasonable demands that they need whilst not short-changing the necessary discipline in order to bring them back on track. 

Possible Solution: Introducing mentorship from adult role models 

It isn’t rocket science, sometimes in order to help the youths and draw them back to Christ, it is essential to understand what the problem is and address it accordingly. Some of them just want to be heard, some yearn to for a sense of belonging, some seek self-identity. Therefore, communications with the individual is important and often the primary solution to address any human relational need. 

The church youth ministry can introduce an adult leader to be a role model to the troubled youth. The role of the adult leader is to connect and relate to the youth, helping the youth to understand who God is, what God has done for us and what we should do to respond to God’s love. This then will help the youth to understand the purpose behind the “Christian activities” that he/she has been doing or been exposed to. 

The adult leader can be someone whom the youth looks up to, or simply someone that has been known to be empathetic. More importantly, the adult role model must be a faithful servant to God who stays true to his/her faith in order to bring the youth who has backslided back to God. 

This however may not be easy for the adult leader as it requires time, commitment and prayer. Once the youth sees the devoted adult leader who truly cares about their well-being, along with the works of the Holy Spirit, the youth who once backslided may return back on track again. 

Matthew Ong

STEP 2015

Light of the world - Tan Yew Vei

In this current age where people are no longer subjected to any fixed form of thinking but have a right to believe in what they want, people are always seeking what is the best for them by observing others around them. Christianity, being the faith with the most number of believers in the world, naturally becomes the hot “target” for people. In this essay, I will talk about how Christians, including Christian youths, can be a testimony to other non-believers, to share the gospel.

God loves us. We know that the Father loves us beyond what we can imagine, shown by the giving of his only Son Jesus Christ for us: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16) Therefore we as Christians should love people more than anyone else. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). 

I feel that Christians should be at the forefront when it comes to helping the vulnerable and neglected in the society. Healthserve and Tamar Village are two organizations which extend a helping hand to people who are commonly neglected in Singapore. The former to the migrant while the latter to the street ladies. These people’s needs are often ignored and they do not feel loved by the public. This is where Christians across denominations should come together and show love to them. People can then see God’s love in Christians. Christians should not appear as being “different” and “separated” to non-believers. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 ESV)

One commonly asked question among Christian youths is this: Can Christians go clubbing? Liking the atmosphere, socializing and dancing in clubs are not wrong in themselves. The main issue is how Christians act in clubs and how they respond to the things they see in clubs. If Christians go to clubs and show others that they have self-control (like not getting drunk or involving in inappropriate activities) and responding correctly to the things they see (taking a stand when they see people, especially their friends doing inappropriate things in clubs), then they would be good testimony as Christians and show how Christians are not restricted by laws and have freedom. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1 ESV) 

That said, if Christians find that they cannot control themselves and thereby sin when they go to clubs, then they should reconsider about going to clubs again. The Bible says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). It is best thus for Christians not to be in a position where they might fall to sin easily. Also, they should consider if their actions cause others to stumble. “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:23 ESV)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19, ESV). Christians are instructed to share the gospel with people of the world. The question here is how? In this multicultural and multi-religious society, how should Christians spread the gospel? 

I feel that the attitude when sharing the gospel in this current age is especially important: “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV) Instead of comparing and condemning people with other beliefs, Christians should emphasize on how great the Christian faith is. 

The visit to Healthserve made me realize that there are actually various ways to spread the gospel-migrant workers who come to faith in Singapore can share the gospel when they go back to their home country. Rev Tan Tiong Ann also shared another way of sharing the gospel apart from the 4 Spiritual Laws and the Bridge analogy. He mentioned that we should focus on the Birth, Death and Ascension of Jesus Christ, emphasizing Jesus’s life to others instead of being functional, i.e. Jesus came just to die for us. Christians should also bear in mind that ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit at work and not our own.

There is an increasing number of issues popping out in the society: euthanasia, LGBT, etc. However, I feel that no matter what issue arise, Christians should always go back to the Word of God and see what God has to say, thereby responding to issues in ways pleasing to God. Only when we are walking closely with God can we be the light to the world, showing them the way, just as Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”(Matthew 5:14-16 ESV)

Yew Vei

STEP 2015

How can one fulfill the Great Commission without being ethnocentric? - Crystal Chia

In the context of Christianity, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples that they spread his teachings to all the nations of the world. This is founded on the word as seen in Matthew 28:16-20, with emphasis on verses 19 and 20 which reads 19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Of which, the command to “make disciples” has become an essential in Christian doctrine.

Baptizing and teaching all that Jesus has commanded are the means by which Christians can fulfill the command to “make disciples”. In short, this denotes our need as Christians to evangelize.

Singapore is a secular state, but is a profoundly religious society. Statistics have shown that 90% of Singaporeans profess to have a religion. The state of Singapore is founded on the need to maintain racial and religious harmony in the society. Singapore is privileged to be managed by an efficient government who is quick to learn from past lessons. Since its independence, the Ministry of Home Affairs and various government agencies have become increasingly equipped to manage and maintain religious harmony in Singapore over the past few decades. Any attempt to disrupt racial or religious harmony will be acutely dealt with. For example, a group of Christians who attempted to spread the gospel message by inserting pamphlets into the letterbox of their Muslim neighbours were prosecuted for being religiously insensitive.

It is important to realize that while religion can unite, it can also serve to dichotomize. When one judges another based on the values and standards of their own culture, this is known as ethnocentrism. Non-believers often reject the message of the gospel as they feel that the values of Christianity infringe upon their own culture. In a multi-cultural and multi-religious society such as Singapore, how can Christians spread the gospel, while maintaining cultural sensitivity? Since Great Commission commissions us to evangelize, how can we follow this command without being ethnocentric?

Firstly, Christians have to show, and tell a bigger story of our lives. Christianity is not a private faith but a public faith. Christians must show our faith in the public square, regardless of the environment we are in. Christians cannot lead dichotomous lives. We cannot behave in a particular way in a church environment, and behave in another on other days of the week. We will have to constantly ask ourselves: What signals are we sending to the non-believers around us?

The scriptures have shown that God is continually at work in the marketplace. When God launched His great work to bring salvation to humanity, He called Abraham, one of the most successful businessmen of his day (Genesis 24:35). In Genesis 26:12-14, Joseph served God not as a preacher or missionary but as a grain administrator (Blackaby, 2008). There are large harvests to be sown and collected in the marketplace, regardless of the industry one is in.

As Christians, we must first set the standard by exemplifying Jesus in our daily living. Just as Pastor Shu-Hui Shih revealed from her conversation with a street lady, “My purpose is to allow you to learn a skill. You can observe me as I follow my faith, if you are interested I can share with you who my God is.” When we first increase the magnitude in which we exemplify Jesus, this will increase the magnitude of attraction in drawing non-believers to believe in the same faith. This is evangelism in the form of leading by example. In doing so, we are not infringing on another’s culture, allowing Christians to maintain cultural sensitivity while fulfilling the Great Commission.

One method we can exemplify Jesus is in the fruit of the spirit. As recorded in the New International Version of the Holy Bible, the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Christians should be at the forefront in demonstrating what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, in the form of behaviour and decisions that we make at the marketplace. 

While we are called to be living testimony, this method is largely passive. The second, passive-aggressive method for Christians to evangelize without being ethnocentric is to find similarities in culture and connect with non-believers on their level. We must first find out why they believe what they believe in, and understand them on their own terms before sharing our faith. The act of understanding a culture on its own terms in an objective manner rather than through the lens of another culture is known as cultural relativism.

Take for example controversies pertaining to tomb sweeping. It is a festival largely practiced by those with other faiths such as Buddhism and Taoism. However, some Christians, much to the criticism of fellow believers, may profess to partake in such an activity.

In my opinion, the crux in being able to reconcile these differences is in having the ability to differentiate between negotiables and non-negotiables. We must be able to find similarities in culture and connect with them on the same level. In the context of tomb sweeping, one may come to realize the underlying values of such a practice to be filial piety and respect for one’s elders. These are values held by many conservative Chinese families, and it may not be one’s intention to discredit the existence of a God by worshipping one’s ancestors.

That being said, it will be overly simplistic if one were to use this as the panacea to all controversies. What are we to do when Christian values are antithetical to values of other cultures? To that, we should understand and apply the following framework (quoted by Desmond Goh, of which its origin may be from Marco Antonio de Dominis):

In Essentials, demonstrate Unity,
For Non-essentials, demonstrate Liberty, and
In All things, demonstrate Charity.

We must agree on essentials (such as baptism values), allow freedom for non-essentials (such as the mode of baptism), and demonstrate love to peoples of other faiths. To do this requires copious amounts of tolerance. While it may not be easy for some, we should be reminded that even Jesus did not discriminate those who did not believe in him, further emphasizing the need for tolerance.

In conclusion, in good Christian faith, to fulfill the Great Commission particularly in the area of evangelism requires patience, tolerance and for each of us to be a living testimony of Jesus in the marketplace daily. Evangelism is a long-term commitment and as Christians, we may grow weary when we do not see instant results. In such a scenario, Proverbs 3:5-6 should be kept close to our hearts. It reads “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. But in all ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight”. We are to always acknowledge that God’s ways are higher than man and while we put in every best effort to fulfill his command, be reminded that he is and will be in ultimate control.

Crystal Chia

STEP 2015

The Tears of A Hustler: Proposal to reach out to the street ladies - Law Mei Ting

The purpose of this proposal is to mobilize our own church’s outreach to the street ladies situated in Geylang, which is also known as the Red Light Districts.

Global Prostitution Situation

From the map above, we can see that in general, prostitution is seen illegal in most part of the world, especially in parts of Asia and Africa region. Whereas, prostitution activities in the North and South America region is legal as observed with the green shadings. In fact, the number of countries that are legalized for prostitution is 77.

Current Situation

According to the findings that are done by three academics from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Boston University and Fudan University, “The typical freelance streetwalker in Geylang is 26 years old, services four clients a day for $70 each on average, and earns about $3,200 a month after deducting rent and other expenses.” They are mostly come from China, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, where they are not based in brothels as they either possess tourist visa or moonlighting as prostitutes while being employed in other legal jobs. However, there are also another group of street ladies who work in brothels, which comprises of local women, who are usually uneducated and belong to the lower income strata of the society. In the recent 5 years, there are more cases of underage prostitution in Singapore. Such problems can be challenging and difficult to be dealt with. But God will definitely give us strengths and resources needed to help the street ladies in Geylang.

Where is God?

A walk down the Geylang streets that night, starting from the run-down houses where the residents are living in to the street ladies that I saw, it has somehow changed my impression towards Singapore. Living in an urbanized and developed city like Singapore, which is a first-world-country, it is really hard to imagine that Singapore still has this “derelict and neglected” side of it. Just as we were walking, there was this group of street ladies, who proudly said out loud, “Welcome to the streets of Prostitution”. Many of us were speechless at their words. That got us wondering whether do they really enjoy what they are doing right now? I don’t think so. Looking at them reminds me to the poem The love of a Hustler (Prostitute’s Cry):

Forgive me God,

My lord and savior.

For I have done things,

opposed to your favor.

But this you know,

and this you have seen.

So it is no secret-

My soul is unclean.

My heart is heavy and burdens run deep.

It's the struggle that’s torn me and made me so weak.

I thought the world had harmed me,

so I looked elsewhere.

Went searching for love-

but nothing was there.

So, I called on your name.

I did it in vain.

I strayed far from you

to escape worldly pain.

I turned to that man

thinking I had better.

I became a store

and he was my seller.

It started with kindness and a heart so pure.

He told me I had beauty when I was unsure.

He made me feel loved when i felt so hated.

Then, he said he would help me

and promised I'd make it.

I then turned from your grace toward something untrue.

And now, here I am, returning to you.

So, take me, my God!

This is my plead.

Wipe away unclean spirits and you take the lead.

Become my guide and I will look towards no other.

For I'd rather have you than the love of a hustler.

God has heard their cries, and is willing to heal them, give them a new lease of life. God has given everyone a purpose in life, even the street ladies too. If they are willing to turn to God and change their lifestyle, I believe they can be testimonial to many who are still struggling, and be an encouragement to them to walk out from the profession. Their power and influence will definitely be much greater than ours as we are not street ladies.

At the same time, our exploration of Geylang streets though brief yet it has really struck me and allowed me to reflect upon my life; how I should lead my next 20 to 30 years of life, my goals in life and what is God’s plan for me? I am really thankful for this opportunity to come before God and seek after his plans for me in the near future.

Proposal 1: Involving Church Youth Choir

After hearing Shu Hui’s story (the founder of Tamar Village), I realize there is opportunity for our church's youth choir to work together with them in terms of doing evangelistic project for the street ladies. One event that we can work on is to organize a Christmas Caroling event at Geylang. This can be an hour event where we will choose approximately 10 songs to sing. The target audience will be the street ladies, the “pimps” or even the residents/”tourists” who are loitering around at that district. I believe this will be a good chance to spread the gospel to them through the songs that we sang.

However, the challenge that we may face will be the unwillingness of the youths to go to the streets and do caroling as it has all along inside people’s impression that Geylang is a “danger and also filthy” place. The youths' parents may not allow their children to join this particular caroling program, so this project is a bit challenging to be carried out.

What I can do is to work with the preacher, the youth choir committee and also to invite Shu Hui and her team to come and share their past experience of doing Christmas Caroling at Geylang. Hopefully, this will change the perception of the youths towards Geylang and the street ladies. Most important of all, we have to pray and seek God's wisdom to carry out this event.

Proposal 2 : Involving New Heart Music Ministries/Other Music Ministries 

This is one of the long-term goals that I have in mind, which involves New Heart Music Ministries or other music ministries to do an annual Christmas Caroling at Geylang. As our effort in spreading the gospel in Geylang, this project will allow more street ladies and the people to know more about Christ the Lord, their savior is their hope, and they should come before God for help. And it is through the street ladies, that the gospel will be spread to other street ladies, their family members, and loved ones. There bound to be challenges and obstacles for this project, however if this is truly what God desires to happen, he will definitely allow this project to be a success. Amen! 

Law Mei Ting

STEP 2015

What Does God’s “Calling” Mean Anymore? - Ruth Lee

Over the past two weeks, various Christian speakers have exhorted us Synod interns to explore God’s calling for our lives. There is a shared hope that some of us may obey the call to become theologically-trained lay ministers, preachers, Presbyterian pastors, chaplains, Christian counselors, and other roles in full-time ministry. Some speakers would then attempt to balance their viewpoint, saying God may have also called us to workplace ministry. I argue that today’s definition of God’s “calling” has emphasized vocation to the point of detracting from what the Bible tells us holistically about God’s “calling”. 

Karen Yates, a writer on Relevant magazine, puts it well: “The problem I see with that over-used, over-emphasized, over-preached word “calling” is that many of us have limited the definition of “calling” to a profession, a career or a role. In this view, calling is about what we do, not about who we are.” To me, this sounds like a case of ontological inversion. God first created man as spiritual beings having eternal life, manifested as physical beings in a material world. This was the intended order. He first created us to be in a relationship with Him, only then to do His good works. When our contemporary discussion of “calling” becomes centred on what we should do, rather than on who God is, what He has done for us and therefore our response to Him, the ontological order has been reversed. 

 Karen Yate continues to explain that because we have attached certain expectations to the word “calling”, we adopt an increasingly man-centric view in exploring God’s “calling” for our lives. We expect our “calling” to be discoverable, in that if we try hard enough, one day we will stumble upon clarity and vision of what to do. We expect our “calling” to be profound, necessitating our loud declaration of living our lives for God and not found in simple and mundane tasks or jobs. We expect our “calling” to feel deliciously good, that our happiness becomes the benchmark of us fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. What then is the difference between God’s “calling” and secular job satisfaction, when the focus is still on us and what we do or feel? 

Before I continue, I would like to ascertain that some Christians really feel they have a divine assignment from God to work in certain ministry or field, and this is not illegitimate. The Bible has well-known examples of people experiencing God’s direct “calling” in their lives – Abraham called to be the father of a great nation in Genesis 12, Moses called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt in Exodus 3, Samuel called to be the Lord’s prophet in 1 Samuel 3, David called to be the king of Israel in 1 Samuel 16, the twelve apostles called to follow Christ in the Gospels, Paul called to be the Lord’s missionary in Acts 9, among others. However, besides these examples, many other people in the Bible did not receive such a direct “calling” from God. Similarly today, if we feel we have not yet received a “calling” from God, how then should we approach God’s will with regards to our lives? 

Let us go back to who God is and what He has done in order to redefine or balance out the definition of “calling”. 

Who is God? One aspect of understanding God is to know He is the one who initiates the call. The first half of 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, who has called you”. Who then, is God calling? Who is the “you” in this verse? Romans 8:30 provides an answer, saying, “And those he predestined, he also called”. God calls those he predestines, or those he has chosen to save. 

What is God calling those predestined to? The latter half of 1 Corinthians 1:9 adds on, “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Remember the ontological inversion. Man was created to be in relationship with God, but after sinning in Genesis 3, that relationship was broken. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Sinful man was to have no relationship with a Holy God, yet God sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay the “wages of sin”, giving us “eternal life”, which is a restored relationship with God. This is what God has done for us – justification. Hence in Romans 8:30 it says, “those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” 

God also calls us to a process of sanctification, which is to live out the new life we have in Jesus Christ. Romans 8:29 says God predestined us “to be conformed to the image of his Son”. The Holy Spirit is to be our “helper” in this, as in John 14:26. The Holy Spirit will help produce fruit in our lives, namely “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”, as in Galatians 5:22-23. In Ephesians 4, Paul gently exhorts believers to speak truthfully, get rid of bitterness and anger, speak only edifying words, be kind and compassionate, because we have “put off (our) old self” and are “made new”, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness”. This new way of living is our response to who God is and what he has done for us. 

Hence we see that it is God who calls, and he calls the predestined to be justified and sanctified, eventually to be glorified when his kingdom comes. We see that “calling” is about who we are or are becoming, as well as how we live our lives, as a response to who God is and what he has done for us. The focus of “calling” is on God primarily, not on what man ought to do. Even for those privileged few who have ascertained and obeyed God’s direction for them in terms of career, I would argue that God is equally concerned about how we work as he is about our specific roles on Earth. Even the process of sanctification was not complete in David, who was called to be King of Israel and ancestor of the Messiah, yet who still succumbed to sin nonetheless. 

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

Ruth Lee
STEP 2015

Community - Matthew Saw

Our Presbyterian logo!

STEP is over. All things on this earth eventually come to an end, and STEP was no exception. As the programme drew to a close, we were asked to prepare a short letter to our church leadership, telling them about this programme and all that we had taken away from it. In it, I reflected that my greatest takeaway from this programme was the sense of community that had erupted amongst us, the participants. We started as a ragtag group of lay leaders from various Presbyterian churches, and now, we are a community, having had a common experience for 3 weeks. After this, many small projects and side groups will erupt. Some will succeed, some will fail. Deeper relationships may form, and we will talk about them. We will be invited for talks, hang out sessions, and all sorts of other get-togethers. Some will come, some will fall away, but we will always remember. When we see each other in our churches, in serendipity, and in heaven, we will reminisce about our time in STEP. We are more than a group of interns. We are a budding community, waiting for nurturing.

Pastor Kuo Yung from Katong Presbyterian Church (my church!) came to tell us about the missional church. His vision of the missional church was one that lived God’s intended life for His people. This church would be a community, a shining light on a hill that cannot be hidden, and the world will see Jesus in the love the community has for each other (John 13:35). He shared in some detail the struggles the church had to go through to reach this state, and I saw a side I never got to see in my formative years as a Christian in my church. He shared about how a conflict in the church divided many among us. Amidst the harsh words and painful exchanges, combined with changes in leadership, we effectively burned down. Out from the ashes rose a stronger group, determined to not repeat the mistakes that brought them to their knees. We decided to become a stronger church. We formed five core values that we practice and live by together, and grew in love for one another. Then God began to add to the community, by sending them people in need, people who worship other gods, and people who were spiritually bankrupt saw that light, and were attracted to it. I think we too will go through the same.
 

As STEP interns, many generations of future interns will come. God will continue to add to our number, as we repeat this programme. He will shape us and refine us with fire. Not all of us will want to be associated with STEP. Conflict and calling may divide us. Some of us will go to distant lands to serve God, leaving us to pray in waiting. However, through common experience and common belief in Jesus Christ, we will always be united. My prayer is for us to not give up meeting together, not give up serving together, and not give up relating to one another. I pray that we will become an inter-church community so bright, that other members of the body may see, and realise that there is a greater unity to be found. One that does not just exist in dreams or visions, but one that exists right now. One that builds up, nurtures the next generation, and that is outward looking enough to serve others and our own church as well. I pray that God will not let go of this community, that we will be used by Him to build up His body, that His body may reach the world together. Faith and community are symptoms of a greater thing, the great God that gathers to save.

Matthew Saw

Lukewarmness - Matthew Saw

This reflection will be short and sweet. Strangely, I did not arrive at this reflection directly through the STEP programme, but it was something that God revealed to me about myself. I hope this counts. 

On the night when a Cabinet Minister came down to speak to us, I had a dinner appointment which I had made months before. The problem with that appointment was that it was supposed to begin at 6. The Minister’s meeting with us was scheduled for 7:30. As such, I would have had to rush from Jubilee to my dinner appointment, then back again. I was at a loss.

Wisdom, I learnt, is made up of 3 components. The first is the Bible, the second is the community, and the third is the Holy Spirit and reflection. We need input from all 3 in order to say that we have treated something with wisdom and consideration. Therefore, I attempted to consult all 3. I realised that going for either would have been acceptable. Experiencing the Minister’s wisdom and experience would have been extremely valuable, however so would have been the fellowship with my brothers and sisters in music ministry. Breaking a promise would be bad, having given my ‘yes’ months ago (Matthew 5:37). Torn between two commitments, I took the diplomatic, Singaporean route to try to satisfy both parties by making a compromise. I decided that I would go for the dinner with my friends at 6, and leave at 7 to be on time for Mr. Gan’s appearance.

Upon arriving at the dinner, because of late parties, we ended up ordering only at 6:30.  Since it was a steamboat, having to wait for the water to boil, I only managed to take my first bite at 7, finishing my plate of food only at 7:30. As I was preparing to leave, amidst fierce resistance from my friends there, the ministry leader said something that stuck out from all the clamour.

“Matthew, if you leave now, you’ll be late. You should stay, leaving this dinner halfway and being late for the next one is being lukewarm.”

Although I knew that he was not referring to what the Bible says about lukewarmness (Revelation 3:16), that statement stopped me in my tracks. I knew that he was right, that I was being unfaithful to both STEP and my friends in treating my commitments to them in this way. Because of my attempt to be committed to both, I ended up being half-hearted. As I reflected on my way back to Jubilee, I realised that the same pattern had been showing in my life. In trying to be faithful to all my commitments and responsibilities, I have ended up being unfaithful to all of them. Because of that, I have built a reputation of being unreliable in church and among friends. My grades are suffering, and in attempting to make time for my hobbies, I have neglected my spiritual commitments.

Finally, I realised that I was being lukewarm in my relationship with God too. I was using all my busyness as an excuse to hide my lack of discipline in pursuing the wisdom of the Bible. The Minister said something at his session that I thought was related.

“If you truly have a heart to serve, you wouldn’t wait till you go into politics to do it. You would have started already.”

If I truly had a heart for God, I would have pursued Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, leaving everything behind, seeking first his kingdom and righteousness, letting Him decide which commitments should come first (Matthew 6:33). If I truly had a heart for God, His Word would already be first in my life, not all the other things.

I remember giving someone close to me an advice. I said that “commitment requires sacrifice.” I hope that I will be able to live out that statement, and sacrifice all to know the surpassing greatness that is God.

Matthew Saw

Public Theology And Politics - Lim Min

I was not aware of a systematic study or area of public theology until we had a conversation with Dr. Roland Chia on public theology. One of my main takeaways was that language on the pulpit has to be translated on a public square to properly engage the public. He mentioned and discussed some recent controversial news including abortion and Health Promotion Board’s Homosexual FAQs and these helped me in my personal engagement with the community around me. I do have friends who are interested in the Christian’s perspective of social issues, and yet I am often unable to provide a convincing and substantiated answer which led me to seek answers from friends and mentors who are actively involved in such ministries. 

Another point brought up was that the government is necessary and is given by the grace of God to maintain order and peace in a country. The following extract states John Calvin’s view on the civil government:

“Calvin’s views regarding government stemmed from his belief in the necessity of civil authority because of the depravity of man, his belief in providence, and his uncompromising certainty that God is sovereign over all things, including governments. His views regarding the corrupt nature of mankind as a result of Adam’s disobedience to God are well documented. He believed that man’s entire being was utterly sinful.” (Extracted from John Calvin on Civil Government by Garry Z. Cole) 

I agree with Calvin’s views on the civil government but I also hope that the church may influence the government in a manner that pleases and honours God. We should be shaping our society with values that are delighted by God. I also feel that churches should not resort to violence or riots when faced with political conflicts but submit with obedience and pray for God’s providence. Dr. Roland Chia mentioned that, “Where the church community is cornered and forced into obedience to the government, in situations where obedience to government means disobedience to God, it is always valid for Christian obedience and accept persecution by governments.” 

Hence, it is always so important for Christians to submit to God and not succumb despite difficult circumstances, reminding me to continue being a salt and light of this world, shining the light of Jesus Christ my Saviour and my Lord.

Lim Min

Active Participation In Missions - Lim Min

This week, we had a fair bit of learning about missions in a comfortable setting and also participating in missions through our visits to Onesimus Garden and Healthserve. The sharings by various pastors and lecturers helped us to understand the mission of God on a broader perspective by remembering that we are all called to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I also learnt that we need not become a full-time missionary in order to participate actively in the work of God but we can also proactively reach out to the neglected communities within our midst and serve them according to their needs.

Pastor Andrew Choo shared an impactful story with us about how he prayed for the Lord’s guidance in his ministries and the Lord opened his eyes to see the needs of the people in Singapore. He saw the poor, rejected and neglected and took action to help them while being sensitive to God’s calling and direction. It was amazing to see how much his ministries have developed over the past decade. 

I personally feel that we always use the excuse of "ignorance" to the answer of why are we not participating in community service and evangelistic work. This is a sign of laziness, that we are unwilling to work actively for the Lord, to actually observe and be sensitive to the needs of others and serve them. 

The visit to HealthServe exposed me to a community that I only hear about and yet do not dare to approach. The sharing by various volunteers of HealthServe led me to question the obstacles that prevented me from reaching out to these communities and I came to the conclusion that societal perspectives and judgment are the main causes. Almost every society despises the poor, especially the capitalist society and it is the same for prostitutes, the lepers and others who are ostracized. Jesus was a radical man, eating with tax collectors, speaking with prostitutes and healing all who were spiritually sick. 

I wish to become Iike Him, a person that reaches out to the helpless and bring the gospel into their lives.

Lim Min

Some Thoughts - Nicholas Khaw

So it has come to pass that time ticked past these three weeks. Another three weeks of my life consumed by the relentless march of time. But that shall not be the attitude. It was three weeks well spent.

This past week was namely missions. What is missions, why missions, how to do missions, who to do missions so on and so forth. I felt that the topic was well covered by the various speakers in that it was very hard hitting on the individual participants, challenging them on action (with the right rationale of course) instead of merely talk and head knowledge.

The underlying point was that missions were part of God’s mission that all believers have a responsibility to participate in. Well is like taken as a given by me and perhaps many second generation Christians. If someone were to tell me that I would go like “uh, and then?” Understanding something to be true is not enough if we do not act on it, I guess. I keep harping on this point because it is the main struggle I face. This can actually be traced back to the whole Christians not being Christians (possibly due to the lack of persecution). When Timothy and HealthServe said that he did not like the term Christians and instead preferred to call himself a follower of Christ I do empathise (I have wrote about the baggage that comes with the term Christians before). Except that perhaps I am not acting like a follower of Christ yet.

Ok, enough of that. Another poignant point was raised in response to one of the questions; when churches fail to do what they are supposed to do, there comes a rise of para-church organisations. It is sad that churches fail even though it is a given that they are not perfect. That was my initial thought. Upon further reflection, I thought that it was perhaps God’s provision that these organisations were springing up to plug in the gaps left by the church. Even though it is not the church’s work, it is at least the work of members of the church. After all, in response to my question on global government, the invited politician-speaker answered that it was not feasible for such a large government to be effective (loosely paraphrased). Obviously a church faces such practical limitations as well, in administration and all that load of economic theory. But a church is different from a global government, while those in a collective government would share the identity of humanity, the church is united in Christ called by God. We have an infallible divine leadership that will someday lead us directly in heaven! I guess the conclusion here is to keep striving and praying despite the imperfections with the hope of a better age (what what).

The talk by Prof. Roland Chia was decent, good for practical Christian living in the public sphere though it should not be taken as the gospel truth. I think he gives very sound suggestions and reasons. For example, I think a place where we should all work on is to purge individualist thinking and the secular humanist viewpoint from our own thinking and then perhaps we will be able to live more like what we profess. I found Bishop Emeritus Robert Solomon’s usage of the 10 commandments refreshing. It helps in some sense to show this ancient document’s relevance to today. Several points that stood out: Do not think of yourself as a leader of men, rather a follower of God. God can speak more to others than to us. All the points about idolatry.

So to conclude the whole program, I am affirmed that I should sort out my theology and then everything else will fall into place naturally. Stemming forth from the vine.

I find it really hard to just reflect on one item. I usually do it as a whole life experience. If any of my reflections thus far have been confusing and you would like to know more I guess you could drop me a text or something.

Nicholas Khaw

My Many Thousands Words - Marie Toh

A picture’s worth a thousand words; so here are some pages from my sketchbook from the lectures I attended with some notes.

I did not go expecting too much from it, but the whole experience was really a timely blessing from Him. Being dry and far the past few years, I felt God drawing close to me through this experience.

Being more equipped with certain knowledge, arousing my curiosity for His word, seeing so many people, especially the young people my age, so on fire for God really inspired me to take a step back and view how I’ve been living my life thus far, and it was a grim outlook. But with this realisation, I know that I can put my hope in a God who transcends all time and space, whose love is far too deep to uproot, and a Father who wants to purify us in and out and use us, no matter how small we feel, for His glory and kingdom.

Thank you STEP 2014. 

Marie Toh

Prof. Simon Chan on theological education and social engagement.

Dr. Maggie Low on Old Testament study and Eld. Eunice Low on New Testament study.

Rev. Tan Tiong Ann on various theological topics.

Mr. Jose Philips on science and Christianity.

Ms. Kuik Shiao-Yin on faith, vocation, and social enterprise.

Prof. Roland Chia and Pr. Joshua Woo conversing on public theology.

Bishop Emeritus Robert Solomon on Christian leadership.

Pr. Gideon Teo on Biblical Counseling.

'Weeding' Process - Marie Toh

From the rich to the poor, the disparity between the two is massive and so prevalent even in such a developed country as Singapore. Being an ignorant Singaporean, God used these examples to open my eyes and think carefully about how I viewed money, and which did I actually serve.

Visiting a mega-church and the huge crowds worshipping in a well-constructed hall with air-condition, high ceiling and with every high technology available today, the experience was definitely impressive and ‘awesome’. The atmosphere boomed with excellence and the timing of the whole service was perfect. The passion that the worshippers have for God was very much felt and one can only be moved by their outward praise. However, the message seemed so swayed towards ‘the self’, that blessings only come in material and physical form, making the whole building seem to the embodiment of this message. 

Within the same week, we visited HealthServe and Onesimus Garden. From the humble exterior, one will not even take a second glance. These places never got headlines, never won any architectural design awards, yet after visiting these places, they embodied different riches that we cannot see.

As a somewhat semi-fresh graduate, I have realised a subconscious belief that how much money I could earn would equivalent to how stable and happy I would be. Having not entered the working world yet, I can only imagine this thought taking deeper roots in my heart if I do not ‘weed’ it out when it is still just a shoot. But this isn’t the only thing that I felt God was speaking to me this week.

Going to the Onesimus Garden was something I was not exactly looking forward to, due to being a sucker for outdoor and physical activities. However, God knew and He prepared a way to change my pampered mindset. Pastor Andrew Choo and his wife humbly welcomed us into the farm and began animatingly telling us how and why they started this farm. I loved how they used the weeding analogy to help ex-convicts during their therapy; it felt like a parable coming to life. After that, we went down to the real weeding and I just wanted to get my hands dirty, and I did. As everyone worked and reminded each other to think about all the weeds in our lives, I caught myself genuinely doing it and I knew that it could only have been God who placed all the thoughts I had at that time in my heart.

It wasn’t just money or a stable income, it was all the material comfort I craved, the ‘control’ I had over my own life and the fact that I have yet to surrender so many things that I held onto as my identity, more than being a child of God.

Now that I am at a strange point in my life, I would like to challenge myself to be more rooted in God’s word, focus more on what is around me and to let the ‘weeding’ process begin.

Marie Toh